Sights & Sounds

What an interesting 4th of July weekend I've had. There have been some very interesting, fun, and also disturbing things to come out of it.
Friday afternoon I decided that we needed a break from Tennessee, so Brandon and I jumped into the truck and headed down to Atlanta. Being big kids, I thought that a day at Six Flags would be the next best thing to meeting Mickey Mouse, so we got our tickets online, booked a hotel room and drove on down. About half way there we realized that it would be too late to have dinner at a swankey place in Hotlanta and decided that Birmingham's Outback was a fine substitute! Boy Howdy was it!! We had grilled lobster tails that were out of this world.
We got to the suite around midnight, this is where things really started to go wrong (in my mind anyway!). You see, I'm a closet grem-o-phoebe. It's really gotten pretty bad lately and I didn't realize exactly how bad until we stepped inside the room. I shudder now even as I think of it. The room itself was fine, a Marriott suite for under $100 on July 4th weekend, you really can't ask for too much more. Everything was clean and in order, no funky smells or anything that would cause me to complain to the management. As soon as I opened the door, I just hit germ freak mode. I have watched too many episodes of The View (you know the ones where they tell all the negative things about traveling?)and it all just came rushing at me. I wouldn't walk on the carpet w/out something on my feet, I didn't want to even look at the bed spread (scene's of CSI and their black light kept popping up in my mind!), and the shower completely freaked me out! I just went a little over the edge. I had problems sleeping b/c of all the images of other people who had been here before me... IT WAS BADDD!!!
After the hotel deal, we got to Six Flags, I was all excited about being at a theme park for the first time w/ Brandon, and it happened again! As soon as we got in line for the first ride, I put my hand on the rail and it was all over... Germs, germs, germs everywhere! And on top of that,I HATE CROWDS! The ride we were on was one where you have to stand up & a contraption comes over your head to hold you in place. Now with me being every inch of 5'3", the holder thing hit to where I couldn't turn my head w/out touching the pads to my face. It was awful! (The actual ride itself was very exhilarating, upside down turns, and all that jazz.) After we got off, Brandon just looked at me and laughed. He said, "Was it the ride, the people, or the place?" I just smiled and said everything was ok, lets find something else to ride, look around and then see what happens.
My husband is so wonderful and understanding. His next words were, "Ya know, if we get wet, I'll be ready to go. What do you say?" Then, the lights shined down from heaven and the blessed angels sang "Glory to God in the Highest"!! I just love him sooo much! So, we got on a ride that at Opryland was called the "Grizzly River Rampage" I can't remember the Georgia name for it, got completely soaked to the bone. (While all the while I'm thinking of little things swimming in the water that has soaked every stitch of clothing on my body, but nevermind that...) And headed straight for the truck. An hour or so later when we actually found it, I scrubbed down as much as I could with Baby & body Works anti-bac Country Apple scented wipes, and we were off.
We visited w/ Chris and Krysta Barnes some dear friends from the Faulkner U days, in the carpet capitol of the world, Dalton, GA, and then took the scenic route home. I don't know that I have ever been so glad to see Lawrenceburg, TN as I was on Saturday night. Thank you God for our own home, clean sheets, clean clothes and clean hair.
Then a strange thing happened on the way to church Sunday morning. I saw a couple parking their Porsche at another church. It was where they parked it that was odd. There is a sign in the parking lot that has about one and a half spaces b/t it and the fence. This was where they parked, the furtherest possible space from the building. Now, here is what concerns me. If you can't trust the people that you gather together with to worship the God who has given you life and hope of life eternal in a parking lot, what does that say about you? It was very disturbing, even worse than the germs in Atlanta.
After that, on our way home, we came upon a very bad wreck. One of the people involved had obviously been badly injured. He appeared to have fainted and was literally hanging from the shoulders up out of the truck window. Police were on their way, there were numerous cars around and Brandon and I decided that since we weren't witnesses, the best thing for us to do was pray for the people involved. I later learned that the man had been killed. It was very eerie, sad, and emotional. I've prayed a lot for the man and his family. Other than that, I don't know what to do to get the pictures out of my head.
Then, last night was the ever popular, 'sit out on the deck and enjoy the neighborhood fireworks' night. It was nice. We live pretty far out in the country among the rolling hills that Tennessee seems to be so famous for (other than the fantastic accent many of us are blessed with!). Seeing other families and friends come together to celebrate and light up the sky with gorgeous colors was a treat in and of itself. Thank God for the freedom to do just that.
There's my 4th of July weekend all wrapped up in a bundle. Sights and sounds galore. Some happy, some sad, some germmy and some glad. Hope that yours was blessed.
Tidings of Joy. :)